BBC & NBCUniversal in Development Partnership

BBC and NBCUniversal have aligned in a development partnership to find and fund unscripted programming concepts with global scale and appeal.

The initiative is open to all U.K.-based production companies and studios. Together, BBC and NBCU will search for “ambitious, platform-defining ideas with transatlantic potential,” which will resonate across their respective linear and streaming platforms.

Ideas will be considered across a broad range of unscripted genres, with a view to co-commission pilots or developments that have series potential.

Both parties have agreed to a set of terms for U.K. producers, which are based on the BBC terms of trade. On- and off-screen diversity will be a significant part of the decision-making process.

The BBC and NBCU already share success with several hit unscripted brands and formats, including The Wall, The Wheel, The Weakest Link and Dragons’ Den.

Kate Phillips, director of entertainment for BBC Commissioning, said: “This unique partnership is such an exciting opportunity for U.K.-based producers. We want to lead the way in finding and investing in high-impact, returnable British ideas and formats from all nations and regions, and this collaboration with NBCU will enable producers to develop their ideas at scale and win commissions on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Jenny Groom, executive VP of entertainment unscripted content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said: “In such a competitive landscape, we love the idea of amplifying our audiences and creative output in partnership with the BBC. There is no better partner for NBCU, and with Sharon Vuong and her team helping to lead the charge for us, we look forward to bringing the next great wave of unscripted formats to viewers across the globe.”